Lord Krishna, standing by the sacred waters where he had once played, declared: “Whoever bathes here, offers water to the gods and ancestors, then fasts and worships me, remembering me with devotion, will be freed from all sins.” He then spoke to the serpent king, reminding him, “When you left the island of Ramanaka and took refuge in this lake, you were spared from being devoured by Suparna, for you bear the mark of my foot.” Hearing these gracious words from Krishna, whose deeds are wondrous, the wives of the serpent king joyfully and respectfully worshipped the Lord. They honored Krishna with divine garments, garlands, precious jewels and ornaments, fragrant ointments, and a splendid garland of lotuses. Having thus worshipped the Lord of the universe—the one whose banner bears Garuda—they circumambulated him and offered their respectful salutations. Then, together with his wives, friends, and sons, the serpent king departed for his island in the ocean. In that moment, by the grace of the Lord who had played in human form, the waters of the Yamuna were freed from all poison. The serpent king continued to worship the Lord with incense, perfumes, and other offerings, reciting the sacred twelve-syllable mantra. Meanwhile, Sūta continued his narration: At that very place, King Parīkṣit saw a most distressing scene—a cow and a bull being beaten mercilessly, as if they were utterly helpless. The one wielding the club was a low-born man, a disgrace to the royal order. The bull, white as a lotus stalk, trembled as if urinating in fear, shaking and standing weakly on a single leg, battered by the blows of the Śūdra. The cow, who once gave warm, nourishing milk, now stood in misery, struck harshly by the feet of the Śūdra. Separated from her calf, her face was wet with tears, her body emaciated, and she yearned for a mere blade of grass. King Parīkṣit, mounted on his chariot adorned with golden fittings, his voice deep and thunderous, his bow raised, confronted them. He demanded, “Who are you, who in my kingdom dares to harm the weak unjustly? You appear as a king, but your actions are like those of an actor, not a twice-born. Attacking the innocent in secret, you deserve death, especially now that Krishna has departed with Arjuna, the bearer of the Gandiva bow. Or, O bull, white as a lotus stalk, walking with diminished feet, are you a deity in this form, bringing us sorrow?” He continued, “Never in the time when the earth was embraced by the mighty Kaurava kings did grief afflict living beings, except through you. O daughter of Surabhi, do not grieve here; let your fear of this low-born man vanish. Do not weep, mother; may auspiciousness be yours. I am the punisher of the wicked.” He proclaimed, “In whose kingdom all subjects suffer at the hands of the wicked, that intoxicated ruler loses his fame, lifespan, fortune, and path. The supreme duty of kings is to protect the afflicted and punish their tormentors. Therefore, I shall kill this most wicked enemy of living beings. Who has cut off your three legs, O daughter of Surabhi, you who should have four? May such as you never exist in the realm of kings devoted to Krishna.” Turning to the bull, Parīkṣit asked, “Tell me, O bull, may auspiciousness be yours, who is the cause of this disfigurement of the innocent, the slanderer of the fame of the sons of Pritha? One who harms the innocent and spreads fear everywhere—only when the wicked are subdued is the welfare of the virtuous assured. Whoever, though innocent among beings, commits offenses without restraint, I shall seize his arm directly, even if he is mortal and adorned with a bracelet. For a king, the highest duty is to uphold his dharma, to govern others according to the scriptures, and never to stray from the path, even in adversity.” Dharma, taking the form of the bull, replied, “Your words, O son of Pandu, are fitting for those who grant safety to the afflicted, for whom Lord Krishna was messenger and leader because of their virtues. Yet, we do not possess the seeds of suffering, O best among men; we are bewildered by the divisions in speech and do not recognize the true cause. Some say the self is the agent, others say fate, some say action, and others say nature is the master. For some, the conclusion is that the cause is inconceivable and indescribable; O royal sage, consider this according to your own discernment.” Sūta continued: As Dharma spoke thus, the emperor, his mind focused and heavy with sorrow, addressed him again. “You speak of dharma, O knower of dharma, and you are dharma itself, taking the form of a bull. Wherever adharma is committed, the informer shares in its guilt. Or perhaps, indeed, the ways of divine illusion are beyond the grasp of mind and speech—this is certain. “Austerity, purity, compassion, and truth are the four legs established in the age of virtue; three have been broken by pride, attachment, and intoxication. Now, Dharma, your only remaining leg is truth, which you must uphold; but Kali, established by falsehood, seeks to seize even that. “This earth, bearing a great burden, was entrusted by the Lord, adorned everywhere by his sacred footprints. But now, this virtuous lady, abandoned and unfortunate, weeps with tearful eyes, lamenting, ‘Unworthy kings, disguised as rulers, and shudras will enjoy me.’” Having thus comforted Dharma and the earth, the great charioteer Parīkṣit took up his sharp sword, intent on punishing the cause of adharma. Approaching the offender with the intent to kill, the culprit abandoned the mark of royalty and bowed his head at Parīkṣit’s feet, overwhelmed by fear. The compassionate hero, seeing the offender fallen and seeking refuge, did not slay him, for such a one is worthy of protection. With a gentle smile, Parīkṣit said, “For you, whose hands are joined in respect, there is no fear at all from the glorious descendants of Gudakesha. But you must not remain in my kingdom, O companion of adharma. “As you dwell among the bodies of men, this host of adharma has arisen: greed, falsehood, theft, impiety, sin, deceit, quarrel, and hypocrisy. You must not remain here, O companion of adharma; you must abide by dharma and truth, especially in the region where the wise, through sacrifice, worship the Lord of sacrifice.